Apparatus for audio data processing and method therefor

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for audio data processing and a method therefor are provided. The apparatus includes a processing unit and an audio decoder. The processing unit receives an audio data stream, and the audio data stream includes a first frame header that complies with a communication protocol and an audio data encoded in an audio compression format. The processing unit parses the audio data stream to split the first frame header and the audio data, generates at least one frame information according to the first frame header, and acquires a second frame header according to the frame information. Here, the second frame header complies with an international audio and video coding standard. The audio decoder is coupled to the processing unit, receives the second frame header and the audio data from the processing unit, and decompresses the audio data according to the second frame header.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of China application serialno. 201210022676.1, filed on Jan. 20, 2012. The entirety of theabove-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by referenceherein and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an apparatus for data processing and a methodtherefor, and more particularly to an apparatus for audio dataprocessing and a method therefor.

2. Description of Related Art

Development of science and technologies leads to the increasing demandfor quality of multimedia. Accordingly, the digital audio broadcasting(DAB) standard, a digital technology standard for broadcasting audiostreams, has been developed. In comparison with the conventional analogbroadcasts, e.g., the analog FM radio, the DAB broadcasts arecharacterized by high fidelity as well as resistance to noise andco-channel interference. Further, a DAB ensemble is able to includemultiple channels within one single bandwidth. Recently, new standards(e.g., the digital audio broadcasting plus (DAB+) standard) that resolveissues existing in the old standard have been widely adopted overvarious countries.

According to the DAB+ standard, the audio data is encoded and compressedin compliance with high efficiency advanced audio coding (HE-AAC), so asto ameliorate the reception quality and improve the quality of thebroadcast audio data. As a matter of fact, normal audio decoders (e.g.,an audio decoder installed in a digital television chip or a digitalaudio player) capable of decoding advanced audio coding (AAC) encodedstreams/packets can decode the HE-AAC encoded frames/streams as long asthe available data parameters are sufficient. Nevertheless, according tothe DAB+ standard, the HE-AAC encoded audio data is transported in formof an audio super frame (ASF) format, and the data parameters requiredfor decoding data streams are stored in the header of the ASF. Thereby,the audio data cannot be directly decoded and broadcast even through theaudio decoder capable of decoding the AAC encoded streams/packets isapplied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to an apparatus for audio data processing anda method therefor. Specifically, an audio decoder may acquire the frameinformation required for data decoding from the unidentifiable header,so as to perform a decoding process.

In the invention, an apparatus for audio data processing and a methodtherefor are provided. The apparatus includes a processing unit and anaudio decoder. The processing unit receives an audio data stream, andthe audio data stream includes a first frame header that complies with acommunication protocol and an audio data encoded in an audio compressionformat. The processing unit parses the audio data stream to split thefirst frame header and the audio data, generates at least one frameinformation according to the first frame header, and acquires a secondframe header according to the frame information. Here, the second frameheader complies with an international audio and video coding standard.The audio decoder is coupled to the processing unit, receives the secondframe header and the audio data from the processing unit, anddecompresses the audio data according to the second frame header.

In the invention, a method for audio data processing includes followingsteps. An audio data stream is received. Here, the audio data streamincludes a first frame header that complies with a communicationprotocol and an audio data encoded in an audio compression format. Theaudio data stream is parsed to split the first frame header and theaudio data, and at least one frame information is acquired according tothe first frame header. A second frame header is generated according tothe frame information. Here, the second frame header complies with aninternational audio and video coding standard. The audio data isdecompressed according to the second frame header.

Based on the above, the invention provides an apparatus for audio dataprocessing and a method therefor. Specifically, frame informationrequired for decoding data may be retrieved from a frame header thatcomplies with a communication protocol, and the frame information isthen converted into a format that can be recognized by the audiodecoder, such that the audio decoder is able to perform the decodingprocess according to the frame information and broadcast the decodeddata.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be furtherunderstood from the further technological features disclosed by theembodiments of the invention wherein there are shown and describedembodiments of this invention, simply by way of illustration of modesbest suited to carry out the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide further understanding,and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. Thedrawings illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with thedescription, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a block view illustrating an apparatus for audio dataprocessing according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for audio data processingaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a block view illustrating an apparatus for audio dataprocessing according to an embodiment of the invention. With referenceto FIG. 1, an apparatus 10 for audio data processing includes aprocessing unit 110 and an audio decoder 120. The processing unit 110receives an audio data stream AS. In the present embodiment, the audiodata stream AS complies with the DAB+ standard and includes a firstframe header in the ASF encapsulation format and an audio data encodedand compressed in the HE-AAC format. Note that the invention describedherein is not limited to the above-mentioned communication protocol andencoding format.

The processing unit 110 parses the audio data stream AS to split thefirst frame header and the audio data AD. According to the first frameheader, the processing unit 110 generates at least one frame informationwhich includes information indispensible for decoding the HE-AAC audiodata. For instance, such information may include parameters inconnection with the stored audio data and the transport audio data. Theprocessing unit 110 thereby acquires a second frame header FH2 accordingto said frame information.

The second frame header FH2 complies with an international audio andvideo coding standard. For instance, corresponding to the HE-AAC encodedaudio data AD, the second frame header FH2 complies with a movingpicture experts group-2 (MPEG-2) standard or a moving picture expertsgroup-4 (MPEG-4) standard. Information required for decoding datastreams is stored in the second frame header FH2 in compliance with theaforesaid international audio and video coding standard. For instance, atransport data and a storage data required for data decoding arerespectively stored in the second frame header FH2 in an audio datatransport stream (ADTS) format and an audio data interchange format(ADIF).

It should be mentioned that the HE-AAC format is defined in the MPEG-4standard. Hence, even through the second frame header FH2 may beprocessed by the processing unit 110 to comply with the MPEG-2 standardand can then be successfully decoded by an end audio decoder (e.g., theaudio decoder 120) that is capable of decoding AAC encoded frames, inthe present embodiment, it is preferable to process the second frameheader FH2 to comply with the MPEG-4 format with use of the processingunit 110. This embodiment should not be construed as a limitation to theinvention. Note that the frame header should be in a format that can berecognized by a terminal audio decoder (e.g., the audio decoder 120).

As shown in FIG. 1, the audio decoder 120 is coupled to the processingunit 110, receives the second frame header FH2 and the audio data ADfrom the processing unit 110, and decompresses the audio data ADaccording to the second frame header FH2, so as to acquire and furtherbroadcast the decompressed audio data DAS.

In the present embodiment, the audio decoder 120 is able to decode theAAC encoded audio data. Since the HE-AAC format is characterized bybackward compatibility, the audio decoder 120 capable of decoding theAAC encoded audio data can also decode the HE-AAC encoded audio data(e.g., the audio data AD). What is more, the audio decoder 120 is notonly capable of decoding the AAC encoded audio data but also able toidentify the format complying with the MPEG-2 standard or the MPEG-4standard. Accordingly, when the audio decoder 120 decodes the audio dataAD, the audio decoder 120 can retrieve information required for decodingdata from the second frame header FH2, decodes the audio data ADaccording to the retrieved information, and acquires and broadcasts thedecompressed audio data DAS. Here, the retrieved information is, forinstance, the transport data stored in the ADTS format or the storagedata in ADIF.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for audio data processingaccording to an embodiment of the invention. With reference to FIG. 2,in step S101, an audio data stream is received. Here, the audio datastream includes a first frame header that complies with a communicationprotocol and an audio data encoded in an audio compression format. Instep S102, the audio data stream is parsed to split the first frameheader and the audio data, and at least one frame information isacquired according to the first frame header. In step S103, a secondframe header is generated according to the frame information. Here, thesecond frame header complies with an international audio and videocoding standard. In step S104, the audio data is decompressed accordingto the second frame header. The detailed implementation of said methodcan be learned with reference to the descriptions in the previousembodiment shown in FIG. 1 and will not be further describedhereinafter.

To sum up, the invention provides an apparatus and a method for audiodata processing. When the audio decoder is capable of decoding anencoded audio data, e.g., an AAC encoded data or an HE-AAC encoded data,the processing unit can first retrieve the information required fordecoding data from the header of the audio data stream in anunidentifiable format and convert the same into a format that can berecognized by the audio decoder, such that the audio decoder canretrieve the information required for decoding data from theidentifiable frame header and decode the data. Here, the unidentifiableformat may be an ASF format in compliance with the DAB+ standard, andthe format which can be recognized by the audio decoder may be a headerformat complying with the MPEG-2 standard or the MPEG-4 standard.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made to the structure of thedisclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of theinvention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the inventioncover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fallwithin the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for audio data processing, theapparatus comprising: a processing unit receiving an audio data stream,the audio data stream comprising a first frame header and an audio data,the first frame header complying with a communication protocol, theaudio data being encoded in an audio compression format, the processingunit parsing the audio data stream to split the first frame header andthe audio data, generating at least one frame information according tothe first header, and acquiring a second frame header according to theat least one frame information, wherein the second frame header complieswith an international audio and video coding standard; and an audiodecoder coupled to the processing unit, the audio decoder receiving thesecond frame header and the audio data and decompressing the audio dataaccording to the second frame header.
 2. The apparatus as recited inclaim 1, wherein the communication protocol is digital audiobroadcasting or digital audio broadcasting plus.
 3. The apparatus asrecited in claim 1, wherein the communication protocol is digital audiobroadcasting, and the audio compression format is high efficiencyadvanced audio coding.
 4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, whereinthe first frame header is in an audio super frame format complying withdigital audio broadcasting or digital audio broadcasting plus.
 5. Theapparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the international audio andvideo coding standard is a moving picture experts group-4 standard, andthe at least one frame information comprises a transport data complyingwith an audio data transport stream format and a storage data complyingwith an audio data interchange format.
 6. The apparatus as recited inclaim 5, wherein the second frame header complies with an advanced audiocoding compression format.
 7. A method for audio data processing, themethod comprising: receiving an audio data stream, wherein the audiodata steam comprises a first frame header and an audio data, the firstframe header complies with a communication protocol, and the audio datais encoded in an audio compression format; parsing the audio data streamto split the first frame header and the audio data and acquiring atleast one frame information according to the first frame header;generating a second frame header according to the at least one frameinformation, wherein the second frame header complies with aninternational audio and video coding standard; and decompressing theaudio data according to the second frame header.
 8. The method asrecited in claim 7, wherein the communication protocol is digital audiobroadcasting or digital audio broadcasting plus.
 9. The method asrecited in claim 7, wherein the communication protocol is digital audiobroadcasting, and the audio compression format is high efficiencyadvanced audio coding.
 10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein thefirst frame header is in an audio super frame format complying withdigital audio broadcasting or digital audio broadcasting plus.
 11. Themethod as recited in claim 8, wherein the international audio and videocoding standard is a moving picture experts group-4 standard; and the atleast one frame information comprises a transport data complying with anaudio data transport stream format and a storage data complying with anaudio data interchange format.
 12. The method as recited in claim 11,wherein the second frame header complies with an advanced audio codingcompression format.